Anti-convulsant compounds are presently in wide use in the treatment of a variety of conditions and diseases, including epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological condition which affects the nervous system and causes affected individuals to suffer from seizures. These seizures are caused by in appropriate electrical communication between neurons in the brain and can be conceptualized as brain activity that is inappropriately synchronous. Seizures are often seen in electro encephalograms (EEGs) as high amplitude neural discharges that occur across brain regions. This brain activity is accompanied by behavioral disturbances that include loss of balance, jerking muscle movement, visual disturbances, and loss of consciousness. It is estimated that about 0.5% of the world's population has some form of epilepsy. Epilepsy is a lifelong condition, has a very low reversion rate, and is only rarely fatal. Persons with uncontrolled epilepsy are often under or un-employed.
The combination of all these factors makes epilepsy among the most expensive health care burdens in the world. In North America alone, the cost of epilepsy due to direct health care costs and lost economic activity is estimated to be in the billions of dollars each year. There is no known cure for epilepsy.
The control of epileptic seizures is an unmet medical challenge. Current medications control seizures by targeting a number of sites in the central nervous system (CNS). These drugs, while effective, often produce undesirable side effects that reduce compliance and therefor efficacy. Reportedly, nearly 30% of individuals with epilepsy do not respond to any current therapies, including both drug and brain stimulation therapies. Accordingly, there is a need to develop novel anticonvulsants in order to provide effective alternatives for these individuals.
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